| Shelia C. Johnson 2007 Honoree |
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| Sheila C. Johnson became the first African-American female billionaire in 2000, when she and her former husband, co-founders of Black Entertainment Television (BET), sold BET for $3 billion. Currently the chief executive officer of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, Johnson owns Market Salamander in Middleburg, Virginia, and Woodlands Resort & Inn, a five-star property outside of Charleston, South Carolina. She is president, managing partner and governor for the Washington Mystics, a WNBA team. In addition, she is a part owner of the Wash-ington Wizards, an NBA team, and the Washington Capitals, a National Hockey League team. Johnson's legacy, however, will not be her wealth or business holdings. Instead, she will long be remembered for the organizations and lives she has positively impacted with her philanthropy. |
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Through the Sheila C. Johnson Foundation, Johnson has contributed at least $20 million to organizations in support of children, education and the arts.
Johnson serves on the boards of the following organizations
and has been a significant donor to them: Centers for Disease Control Foundation,
Morrisville College Foundation, Parsons The New School for Design, University
of Illinois Foundation and Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts.
"Find a passion and be generous and giving to others." |
Her contributions have been used to help youth interested in culinary careers, renovate a university building, provide scholarships for first-generation college students, combat childhood obesity, support public schools' arts-education programs and jumpstart addiction-treatment programs.
Johnson has always been committed to enhancing the lives of children. She has spoken around the world on behalf of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children and currently serves as international ambassador for CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. One of her great achievements was the development of BET's award-winning program, "Teen Summit," which gave teenagers a chance to talk frankly about their critical issues. Young adults still approach her to tell her how valuable the show was in their lives.
An accomplished violinist, Johnson earned a degree in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The mother of two children, Johnson encourages today's youth "to find a passion and be generous and giving to others."
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